How mold reproduces

I believe everyone is familiar with mold. This is a fungus that can easily exist in food and the human body. This fungus can be spread in a certain way. Therefore, if the human body is infected with mold, it is necessary to receive timely treatment to prevent infection. If food is infected with mold, it needs to be handled in time. Below, I will introduce to you the common reproduction methods of mold!

The dormant spores formed by the swelling of individual cells in the middle of the hyphae have concentrated protoplasm and thickened cell walls, and can withstand adverse environmental conditions such as high temperature and dryness. When the environmental conditions are suitable, it germinates into mycelium, such as Mucor racemosus in the genus Mucor.

2. Asexual Reproduction

It mainly produces arthrospores, conidia and sporangiospores.

①Arthrospore. Formed by the breakage of hyphae. Such as Geotrichum candidum.

②Conidia. Spores are formed singly or in clusters at the tips of hyphae or on conidiophores in a manner similar to budding. Most toxic fungi, such as Penicillium, Aspergillus, Trichoderma and Alternaria, reproduce by conidia.

③Spore spores. The top of the aerial hyphae or sporangium stalk swells and produces transverse septa below to separate from the hyphae to form a sporangium, and spores are formed inside the sporangium. Fungi that produce sporangiospores all belong to the class Phycomycetes.

3. Sexual Reproduction

(1) Oospore

The hyphae are divided into male organs and ovipositors. There is one or more ova in the ootheca. When the antheridium and the oospore mate, the cytoplasm and nucleus in the antheridium enter the oospore through the fertilization tube and combine with the oosphere to form oospores.

(2) Zygospore

Zygospores are formed by the fusion of gametangia of identical or slightly different morphology produced by hyphae. Two adjacent hyphae are connected, and each extends a very short side branch to the other, which is called progametic ascus. After the progametangia come into contact, their apexes swell and form transverse septa, forming the gametangia. The part below the gametangium is called the gametangium stalk. The septum between the two contacting gametangia disappears, the cytoplasm and the nucleus fuse with each other, and a thick wall is formed on the outside, which is the zygospore.

(3) Ascospores

The formation of ascospores is the main characteristic of ascomycetes. The ascus is a sac-like structure whose shape varies from species to species. The number of spores in the ascus is 2 to the power of n, usually 1-8. A typical ascus contains 8 spores.

The formation of asci and ascospores by molds is much more complex than that of yeasts. They are all formed by the contact of morphologically differentiated hermaphroditic cells. The asci of most fungi are enclosed in special ascocarps. There are three types of ascocarps: cleistothecia, perithecia, and ascocarps.

The morphology, size, color, and formation method of ascospores are all characteristics of ascomycetes and are often used as the basis for classification and identification.